Former Rabbitohs skipper Mario Fenech says he's "disappointed" that existent skipper Adam Reynolds won't play different crippled successful cardinal and myrtle aft Sunday's expansive final.
But Fenech, who played 182 games with South Sydney betwixt 1981 and 1990, understands the harsh world of nonrecreational rugby league arsenic good arsenic anyone.
In the nine legend's ain words, there's "no romance" successful top-level rugby league.
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Fenech was the bosom and psyche of the Rabbitohs during his decade-long vocation astatine the instauration club, with the firebrand hooker establishing himself arsenic 1 of the toughest competitors successful rugby league history.
But a fiscal situation that rocked the Rabbitohs forced him to locomotion retired connected South Sydney and articulation North Sydney, arriving astatine the Bears up of the 1991 season.
Fenech had grown up successful South Sydney territory, played inferior footy with Mascot and, until his determination to the Bears, had lone ever played successful the NSWRL with the Rabbitohs.
Broncos-bound Reynolds has conscionable arsenic overmuch reddish and greenish streaming done his veins arsenic Fenech, having grown up conscionable blocks distant from Redfern Oval. He played with respective clubs successful South Sydney's inferior league and has lone ever played successful the NRL with the Rabbitohs.
A 39-year-old Fenech and a 10-year-old Reynolds were besides among the 80,000 Rabbitohs faithful who took to Sydney's streets successful November 2000 to protestation against the nine being kicked retired of the NRL.
"It's bittersweet to spot Reynolds go, to beryllium honest," Fenech told Wide World of Sports.
"But I had to permission Souths, too, and spell to North Sydney. That's the mode it goes. They conscionable couldn't spend to support me, and evidently with Reynolds – it hasn't worked retired for him. It's conscionable the mode it goes.
"I'm disappointed (that Reynolds is leaving), but the aforesaid happening happened to me. When I went to North Sydney, Souths couldn't spend to support maine ... and past Norths couldn't spend to support maine and I went up to the South Queensland Crushers.
"(There's) nary romance (left successful the game)."
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Reynolds is shooting for his 2nd rubric arsenic a Rabbitoh, having tasted glory erstwhile the nine broke a 43-year premiership drought successful 2014.
Reynolds, winger Alex Johnston and front-rower Tom Burgess are the lone 2014 premiership-winning Rabbitohs acceptable to propulsion connected a South Sydney jumper successful Sunday's decider.
Reynolds was installed arsenic South Sydney's skipper pursuing the 2019 retirements of Greg Inglis, Sam Burgess and John Sutton, and he's since led the Rabbitohs to a 2020 preliminary last and this year's expansive final.
The seasoned halfback enjoyed 1 of the astir treasured moments of his vocation erstwhile helium clinched the Rabbitohs' all-time points grounds successful August, surpassing the 1841 points scored by South Sydney royalty Eric Simms successful the 1960s and 1970s.
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Fenech lone has praise for Reynolds.
"He's a precise bully kicker of the ball, his goal-kicking is incredible, he's a large communicator successful presumption of you cognize precisely what helium wants," Fenech said.
"What you've got to recognize astir Reynolds is his connection skills are incredibly good. You would cognize precisely what helium wants of you.
"He volition beryllium missed."
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